Raising the Standard - An Apology & Challenge to Blog Readers

Raising the Standard

          “Why do we have several pictures of girl’s shoulders on Pure Femininity?”
          My mouth dropped open and I stared at my sister for a moment, unable to answer the blunt, unexpected question that she had just asked me.
          “What do you mean?” I finally responded.

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          “I was looking through our posts on Pure Femininity recently and I noticed that there were several pictures of girls wearing strapless dresses.”
          I knew in an instant which pictures she was talking about, they were displayed in one of my favorite posts.  Being tired and in a hurry, I had chosen pictures to corrispond with that particular article that I thought were “OK.”  

          To most people, such pictures would have been no big deal and would have gone completely unnoticed.  After all, the only thing the pictures really showed were girl’s shoulders  - from the back!  Most girl’s today would even look at such dresses as “modest,” but if they could only hear what “thoughts” such dresses trigger in the minds of men, I hope they would think otherwise.

          I have made it an object in the past to learn how men think about how women dress and how it dramatically effects them and causes them to stumble.  Because of the things I have learned, I have made it a priority in my life to dress in a way to promote men to think like real men instead of in a lustful, animalistic way. 
          I typically am careful about what images I post, but I had let myself become off guard and fall into the lie that it really was not that big of a deal.  But why would I ever even consider posting a picture of a girl wearing something that I myself would never wear when I know that even an image will cause the same lustful thoughts in a man as the real thing?  Granted, this blog is geared towards women, but we do have men who occasionally stop by.  It’s so easy to let little things slip in as “no big deal” until they grow and grow until there are no moral values left.  

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          To many of you, this post may seem ridiculous and unnecessary, perhaps even offensive.  I mean no offence whatsoever, but I need stand strong in my faith.  In Isaiah 7:9-b it says, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

          As a Christian, I want to joyfully and eagerly live my life as pleasing to the Lord in every possible area with strength and boldness - Not letting myself be concerned about what others think when I stand firm.  
          Showing shoulders in a picture may not seem like a big deal, but I know that it causes my brothers to stumble.  “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.” Romans 14:21
          I know that I am called to set a good example:  “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”  1Timothy 4:12
          And I know that I am do be different from the rest of the world:  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Romans 12:2

          Since I know these things and have been made aware of my mistake, I humbly ask the forgiveness of you, my blog readers.  I believe that true leaders have a heart to serve others, to be good examples, and this sometimes even means repenting of small, insignificant sounding issues.  I want to set a good example to you in every possible way and to live my life in a way that will continue to point to God’s ultimate goodness and the true freedom in following Him.